Meeting Notes - June 10, 2009
1) Approval of Notes May 13, 2009
The notes were approved.
2) Changes to 09-10 Projections, Projected Fund Balances as of end March 09, Categorical Funding Update
Jeanpierre shared a handout from Andy Dunn and Bernata Slater that was presented to the Board on June 1, 2009. The document showed the changes to 2009-10 projections and the projected fund balances (est. as of 3rd quarter end) FHDA has a total projected ending fund balance of $18M. De Anza College has a projected ending fund balance of $5.2M. Fund 61 has a fund balance from savings in medical benefits from vacant positions. Therefore, at the present time the District has a projected $18M problem and a projected $18M fund balance.The District and Colleges are trying to stretch the funds as far as possible.
The situation with the categorical funding keeps changing. There is approx. $8M in categorical staffing costs at De Anza College.The latest information available from Bret Watson is reflected in the document Categorical Funding Update. More information is also available from notes of the May 26, 2009 Campus Budget meeting which are posted at: http://www.deanza.edu/gov/campus_budget/notes/CBTNotes05_26_09.html
The District has requested the categorical program managers prepare two scenarios:1) a 50% reduction and 2) a 15% reduction.
Child Development could be deeply impacted and are looking at other partnerships e.g.
Head Start. OTI's funding has been in flux over the last weeks but there is a chance
they may receive Fed Stimulus funds.
Part-time faculty compensation for office hours and medical benefits were originally
State funded but now the State is withdrawing funding. $1M in part-time benefits will
now have to be funded by the district.
The District is looking for a two-year plan. The deans are reviewing low productivity
and low enrolled courses; trends; shifting FTEF to areas of greatest need; enrollment
figures before the quarter commences; etc. FHDA is currently looking at cutting 500
sections next year; 300 at De Anza College and 200 at Foothill College. This is approx
5% and would equal approx. $1-2M dollars in savings.
FTFO has not been waived yet, which is why FHDA are still looking at hiring faculty
at this time.
- Go back to mission to look at what we want the college to look like after the cuts. Looking at $9-12M.
- Make deliberate decisions on what is the core mission of the college.
- Need to work together.
- Hoping to get firm figures in July and August on the State budget.
- Many of the categoricals have fund balances to use this year but next year could be very different.
- Mid-year cuts come on June 30th (this is the end of the FY year)
- Board can release Board stability funding ($600k)
- No talk of sweeping the EIS backfill at this stage ($1.3M)
- $200k in materials fees. Put a hold on them until we can use some of it. Talk to Deans first and come up with a plan. The funds are supposed to spent down each quarter, and if not it is a red flag for audit. Proposal to not collect materials fees in the next couple of quarters. Materials fees uses are very restrictive. Changing trends have made a difference in spending e.g. posting handouts online instead of printing.
President Murphy sent the following information to the College via an email on 6/10/09.
"In anticipation of the budget we are likely to get, we have made the following preliminary
moves:
1) Course Sections: We are planning to reduce course sections by 5% this fall, as
the state debates whether or not to reduce our enrollment "base." Facing a cut of
nearly 10% in our funding, we anticipate that the state will indeed do so. It will
be a central element of our enrollment planning to ensure the maintenance of our core
educational program, especially for those students most in need.
2) Cell Phones: College senior staff have jointly agreed to drop their district-paid
cell phones and purchase individual phone service, with the retention of only those
phones needed for emergency response. Further, I have asked all administrators to
review and reduce the number of district cell phones assigned throughout the college.
3) ProCards: I have directed that all general fund and categorical administrators
review ProCard distribution in their departments, and, other than in exceptional circumstances,
pull all ProCard purchases back to the managerial level: deans, directors and vice
presidents. All other cards will be cancelled.
4) Travel: I have asked administrators to review all travel, and with the exception
of trips paid through negotiated staff development funds and trips associated with
college priorities, all non-essential travel will be dropped.
5) Social Functions: No college social functions will be paid for or reimbursed out
of college funds. I will use Foundation funds when appropriate, and we will continue
the tradition of celebrating the graduation achievements of our students -- just not
with state funds."
3) Discussion on Further 5% Reductions
As there is not a final budget at this time, we are in somewhat of a 'wait and see'
pattern and will use one-time resources to cover FHDA until we have a clearer picture.
However, the District must still work on a plan to close the projected deficit and
has asked the Colleges to look at a further 5% reduction.
Each PBT will look at a 5% reduction in their area.
- transfer an additional 40% (currently 10%) of Jones-Dulin’s salary to Measure C
- potential savings in the Technology Resources Group area
- re-look at B budgets again in view of a possible reduction to enrollment
- go back to areas and re-look at every possibility
- $18.8M on the table in collective bargaining
- protect the staff we have left
Challenging to keep employees motivated and positive while we are going through these reductions. By comparison FHDA is in fairly good shape as we have excellent budgeters and have been proactive in anticipating declining budgets. FHDA has a healthy ending fund balance which many other colleges do not have. Some colleges are struggling to make the 5% reserves. FHDA in a unique position in having fund balance to assist in budget planning. There is a possibility that some community colleges might go bankrupt over the next years. FHDA also has dedicated and experienced Deans, faculty, staff and management at the Colleges and District working on solving our problem collectively.
Jeanpierre will send out the dollar amount of our area's 5% reductions later this week and will include the monetary value of the proposed reductions.
4) Burning Issues
None were presented.